Origins

The Reformation occurred later in Britain than in most of mainland Europe. As in the rest of Europe, various liberal thinkers such as Thomas More became prominent, but another important current was the emergence of the radical Puritans who wanted to reform both religion and the nation. The Puritans were oppressed by both the monarchy and by the established church. Eventually these pressures exploded in the violent social revolution known as the English Civil War, which many Marxists see as the world's first successful bourgeois revolution. The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... Jump to: navigation, search Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions... Jump to: navigation, search Portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478–6 July 1535), posthumously known also as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, writer, and politician. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Puritans were members of a group of English Protestants seeking further reforms or even separation from the established church during the Reformation. ... Jump to: navigation, search A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, one, and archein, to rule) is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. ... In English history, the Established Church is the Church of England, the church which is established by the Government, supported by it, and of which the monarch is the titular head; until 1920 it also held the same position in Wales. ... Jump to: navigation, search Look up Revolution on Wiktionary, the free dictionary This article is about revolution in the sense of a drastic change. ... Jump to: navigation, search The term English Civil War (or Wars) refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. ... Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... Jump to: navigation, search Look up Revolution on Wiktionary, the free dictionary This article is about revolution in the sense of a drastic change. ...

After the war several proto-socialist groups emerged. The most important of these groups were the Levellers, who advocated electoral reform, universal trial by jury, progressive taxation and the abolition of the monarchy and aristocracy and of censorship. This was strongly opposed by Oliver Cromwell's government, who also persecuted the moderate reformist group the Fifth Monarchy Men and the radical utopian group The Diggers. The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ... The Levellers were a mid 17th century English political party, who came to prominence during the English Civil Wars. ... Electoral reform projects seek to change the way that public desires are reflected in elections through electoral systems. ... Trial by Jury is a comic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in one act (the only single-act Savoy Opera). ... A progressive tax, or graduated tax, is a tax that is larger as a percentage of income for those with larger incomes. ... Jump to: navigation, search A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, one, and archein, to rule) is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. ... The Ancient Greek term aristocracy meant a system of government with rule by the best. This is the first definition given in most dictionaries. ... Jump to: navigation, search Censorship is the control of speech and other forms of human expression, often in the context of government control. ... Jump to: navigation, search Unfinished portrait miniature of Oliver Cromwell by Samuel Cooper, 1657. ... Reformism (also called revisionism or revisionist theory) is the belief that gradual changes in a society can ultimately change its fundamental structures. ... The Fifth Monarchy Men were a radical Puritan politico-religious party active from 1649 to 1661 (the Interregnum) during Oliver Cromwells government. ... Radical is derived from the Latin word radix, which means root. In various fields of endeavor, it can mean: Sciences in chemistry, either an atom or molecule with at least one unpaired electron, or a group of atoms, charged or uncharged, that act as a single entity in reaction. ... See Utopia (disambiguation) for other meanings of this word Utopia, in its most common and general meaning, refers to a hypothetical perfect society. ... For other meanings see Diggers (disambiguation) and Levellers (disambiguation) The Diggers were a group begun by Gerrard Winstanley in 1649 which called for a total destruction of the existing social order and replacement with a communistic and agrarian lifestyle based around the precepts of Christian Nationalism, wishing to rid England...

The 19th century

The Industrial Revolution and Robert Owen

The Industrial Revolution, the transition from a agrarian economy to an industrial one, began in the UK over 30 years before the rest of the world. Textile mills and coal mines sprang up across the whole country and peasants were taken from the fields to work down the mines, or into the "Dark, Satanic Mills", the chimneys of which blacked the sky over Lancashire and West Yorkshire. Appalling conditions for workers, combined with support for the French Revolution turned some intellectuals to socialism. Jump to: navigation, search The Industrial Revolution was the major technological, socioeconomic and cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th century resulting from the replacement of an economy based on manual labor to one dominated by industry and machine manufacture. ... Jump to: navigation, search Lancashire (archaically, the County of Lancaster) is a county palatine of England, lying on the Irish Sea. ... Jump to: navigation, search The White Yorkshire rose. ... Jump to: navigation, search During the French Revolution (1789-1799) democracy and republicanism replaced the absolute monarchy in France, and the French sector of the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ...

The pioneering work of Robert Owen, a Welsh radical, at New Lanark in Scotland, is sometimes credited as being the birth of British Socialism. He stopped employing Children under the age of 10, and instead arranged for their education, and improved the working and living conditions of all his workers. He also lobbied Parliament over child labour, and helped to create the co-operative movement, before attempting to create a utopian community at New Harmony. Jump to: navigation, search Robert Owen Robert Owen continues to be looked up to in this Manchester statue Robert Owen (May 14, 1771 – November 17, 1858) was a Welsh social reformer. ... Jump to: navigation, search New Lanark is a village on the River Clyde, approximately two kilometres from the Scottish town of Lanark. ... An aerial view of Parliament of India at New Delhi. ... A cooperative (also co-operative or co-op) comprises a legal entity owned and democratically controlled by its members, with no passive shareholders. ... New Harmony is a town located in Posey County, Indiana. ...

Trade unions

The trade union movement in Britain gradually developed from the Mediaeval guild system. Unions were subject to often severe repression until 1824, but were already widespread in cities such as London. Workplace militancy had also manifested itself as Luddism and had been prominent in struggles such as the 1820 Rising in Scotland where 60,000 workers went on a general strike, which was soon crushed. Jump to: navigation, search This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A guild is an association of people of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards of morality or conduct. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... The Luddites were a group of English workers in the early 1800s who protested – often by destroying machines – against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution that they felt threatened their jobs. ... Timeline of Scottish history Caledonia List of not fully sovereign nations Subdivisions of Scotland National parks (Scotland) Traditional music of Scotland Flower of Scotland Wars of Scottish Independence National Trust for Scotland Historic houses in Scotland Castles in Scotland Museums in Scotland Abbeys and priories in Scotland Gardens in Scotland... Jump to: navigation, search A general strike is a strike action by an entire labour force in a city, region or country. ...

From 1830 on, attempts were made to set up national general unions, most notably Robert Owen's Grand National Consolidated Trades Union in 1834, which attracted a range of socialists from Owenites to revolutionaries. It played a part in the protests after the Tolpuddle Martyrs' case, but soon collapsed. 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... A general union is a trade union (labor union in U.S. English) which represents workers from all industries and companies, rather than just one organisation or a particular sector, as in a craft union or industrial union. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search The Tolpuddle Martyrs were a group of 19th century British labourers who were arrested for and convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. ...

Militants turned to Chartism, the aims of which were supported by most socialists, although none appear to have played leading roles. Jump to: navigation, search Chartism is also an alternative term for technical analysis A movement for social and political reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, Chartism gains its name from the Peoples Charter of 1838, which set out the main aims of the movement. ...

More permanent trade unions were established from the 1850s, better resourced but often less radical. The London Trades Council was founded in 1860, and the Sheffield Outrages spurred the establishment of the Trades Union Congress in 1868. Union membership grew as unskilled and women workers were unionised, and socialists such as Tom Mann played an increasingly prominent role. Jump to: navigation, search // Events and Trends Technology Production of steel revolutionised by invention of the Bessemer process Benjamin Silliman fractionates petroleum by distillation for the first time First transatlantic telegraph cable laid First safety elevator installed by Elisha Otis Science Charles Darwin publishes The Origin of Species, putting forward... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... Sheffields early success in steel production had involved long working hours, in desperately unpleasant conditions which offered little or no safety protection. ... Trades Union Congress headquarters at Congress House in Great Russell Street near Tottenham Court Road, Camden, London. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Tom Mann (15 April 1856 - 13 March 1941) was a noted British trade unionist. ...

Ethical socialism

The rise of non-conformist religions, in particular Methodism, played a large role in the development of trade unions and of British Socialism. The influence of the radical chapels were strongly felt among some industrial workers, especially miners and those in the north of England. Jump to: navigation, search The Methodist movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Many ethical socialists grouped themselves around Robert Blatchford's newspaper The Clarion, and some set up a socialist church movement which can be seen as a forerunner of later Christian socialism in the labour movement. A strand with less base in the unions became the Fabian Society and began to work to get the Liberal Party to adopt reformist socialist policies. Robert Peel Glanville Blatchford, (March 17, 1851 – December 17, 1943), was a socialist campaigner and author. ... Christian Socialism generally refers to those on the Christian left whose politics are both Christian and socialist and who see these two things as being interconnected, perhaps because one derives from the other. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Fabian Society is a British socialist intellectual movement best known for its initial ground-breaking work beginning in the late 19th century and then up to World War I. The society laid many of the foundations of the Labour Party in this time-period and...

The Chartist movement

The first mass revolutionary movement of the British working class in the 1830s and 1840s. Mass meetings and demonstrations involving millions of proletariat and petty-bourgeois were held throughout the country for years. Jump to: navigation, search // Events and Trends Electromagnetic induction discovered by Michael Faraday Dutch-speaking farmers known as Voortrekkers emigrate northwards from the Cape Colony Croquet invented in Ireland Railroad construction begins in earnest in the United States Egba refugees fleeing the Yoruba civil wars found the city of Abeokuta... Jump to: navigation, search // Events and Trends Technology First use of anaesthesia in an operation, by Crawford Long War, peace and politics First signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi) on February 6, 1840 at Waitangi New Zealand. ...

The Chartists published several petitions to the British Parliament (ranging from 1,280,000 to 3,000,000 signatures), the most famous of which was called the People's Charter (hence their name) in 1842, which demanded: Look up Petition in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A petition is a request to an authority, most commonly a government official or public entity. ... Jump to: navigation, search Chartism is also an alternative term for technical analysis A movement for social and political reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, Chartism gains its name from the Peoples Charter of 1838, which set out the main aims of the movement. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

1. Universal suffrage for men.
2. The secret ballot.
3. Removal of property qualifications for Members of Parliament.
4. Salaries for Members of Parliament.
5. Electoral districts representing equal numbers of people.
6. Annually elected parliaments.

The government subsequently subjected the Chartists to brutal reprisals and arrested their leaders. The remaining party then split as a result of a divide in tactics: the Moral Force Party believed in bureaucratic reformism, while the Physical Force Party believed in workers' reformism (through strikes, etc).

The Chartist movement's reformist goals, although not immediately and directly attained, were gradually achieved. In the same year as the People's Charter was created, the British Parliament instead responded by passing the 1842 Mining Act. Carefully valving the steam of the working class movement, British Parliament reduced the working day to ten hours in 1847. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Source: Encyclopedia of Marxism, available under the terms of GFDL. [1] The Marxists Internet Archive (also known as MIA or Marxists. ... GFDL redirects here. ...

Marx and early Marxism

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels worked in England, and there influenced small émigré groups including the Communist League. Engel's Condition of the Working Class in England [2] became a popular expose of conditions for workers, but initially Marxism had little impact among Britain's working class. Jump to: navigation, search Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818 Trier, Germany – March 14, 1883 London, England) was an influential philosopher, political economist, and revolutionary organizer of the International Workingmens Association. ... Jump to: navigation, search Friedrich Engels Friedrich Engels (November 28, 1820–August 5, 1895) was a 19th-century German political philosopher. ... See Communist League (disambiguation) for other groups of the same name. ...

The first nominally Marxist organisation was the Social Democratic Federation, founded in 1882. Engels refused to support the organisation, although Marx's daughter Eleanor joined. This article is about the British political party. ... 1882 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Eleanor Marx (16th January 1855 – 31st March 1898) was a Marxist author and political activist. ...

The party soon split, with the Socialist League of William Morris becoming divided between anarchists and more orthodox Marxists such as Morris and Eleanor Marx. A much later split produced the Socialist Party of Great Britain, Britain's oldest existing socialist party and the Socialist Labour Party. The Socialist League was a socialist political party in the United Kingdom. ... Jump to: navigation, search This page is about William Morris, the writer, designer and socialist. ... Arguing against capitalism, Speakers Corner, October 31, 2004 The Socialist Party of Great Britain, also known as the SPGB, is a small Marxist party, which is emphatically not Leninist. ...

Although Marxism had some impact in Britain, it was far less than in many other European countries. Some non-Marxists theorise that this was because Britain was amongst the most democratic countries of Europe of the period, the ballot box provided an instrument for change, so a parliamentary, reformist socialism seemed a more promising route than elsewhere. Jump to: navigation, search Democracy is a form of government in which policy is decided by the preference of the majority in a decision-making process, usually elections or referenda, open to all or most citizens. ...

Lib-Labs and the ILP

The 1867 Reform Act finally enfranchised the majority of the male working class, who made up a majority of the electorate. The Liberal Party was worried about the possibility of a socialist party taking the bulk of the working class vote, while their great rivals the Conservatives initiated occasional intrigues to encourage socialist candidates to stand against the Liberals. Jump to: navigation, search The Reform Act 1867 (also known as the Second Reform Act) was a piece of British legislation that greatly increased the number of men who could vote in elections in the UK. In its final form, the Reform Act 1867 enfranchised all male householders and abolished... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... The Liberal Party was one of the two major British political parties from the early 19th century until the 1920s, and a third party of varying strength and importance up to 1988, when it merged with the Social Democratic Party to form a new party which would become known as... Jump to: navigation, search The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the centre-right in the United Kingdom. ...

In 1874, the Liberals agreed not to put candidates against Thomas Burt and Alexander Macdonald, two miners leaders who were standing for Parliament. Both were elected and became known as Liberal-Labour or Lib-Labs for short. Other miners leaders entered Parliament via the same route. Jump to: navigation, search 1874 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Categories: Stub ... The Houses of Parliament, seen over Westminster Bridge The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ...

In 1888 Keir Hardie, a Lib-Lab politician, left the Liberals and formed his own, independent, Scottish Socialist Party. In 1892 he was elected as an Independent Labour MP, and this gave him the spur to found a UK-wide Independent Labour Party in 1893. Jump to: navigation, search 1888 is a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... James Keir Hardie (August 15, 1856 - September 26, 1915) was a Scottish-born socialist and labour leader, and the first Labour MP to be elected to the UK Parliament. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article deals with the Scottish Socialist Party that was formed in 1998. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a former political party in the United Kingdom. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

The 20th century

The Birth of the Labour Party

In 1900, representatives of various trade unions and of the Independent Labour Party, Fabian Society and Social Democratic Federation agreed to form a Labour Party backed by the unions and with its own whips. The Labour Representation Committee was founded with Keir Hardie as its leader. At the 1900 election the LRC won only two seats, and the SDF disaffiliated, but more unions signed up. 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... The Labour Representation Committee (LRC) was formed on February 27, 1900, at a conference at which representatives of the main socialist groupings in the United Kingdom were present. ...

The LRC affiliated to the Socialist International and in 1906 changed its name to Labour Party. It formed an electoral pact with the Liberals, intending to cause maximum damage to the Unionist Government in the forthcoming election. This was successful, and in the process, 29 Labour MPs were elected. This is where the Labour Party began. Wikipedia is a free Encyclopedia The official symbol of Socialist International The Socialist International (SI) is an international organisation for social democratic and democratic socialist parties. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1906 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the centre-right in the United Kingdom. ...

Women's suffrage

The campaign for women's suffrage in Britain began in the mid-nineteenth century, with many early campaigners including Eleanor Marx being socialists, but many established socialists, including Robert Blatchford and Ernest Bax opposed or ignored the movement. By the early twentieth century, the campaign had become more militant, but some of its leaders were reluctant to involve working class women in it. Sylvia Pankhurst campaigned for enfranchisement among women in the East End of London and eventually built up the Workers Socialist Federation. Edwin is Puerto Rican Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ernest Belfort Bax (July 23, 1854 - November 26, 1926) was a socialist journalist and philosopher, associated with the Social Democratic Federation in Britain. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... Jump to: navigation, search Sylvia Pankhurst (Estelle) Sylvia Pankhurst (May 5, 1882 - September 27, 1960) was a campaigner in the suffragette movement. ... The Workers Socialist Federation was a socialist political party in the United Kingdom, led by Sylvia Pankhurst. ...

Syndicalism and World War I

Supporters of Daniel De Leon in the Social Democratic Federation split to form the Socialist Labour Party. The remainder of the SDF attempted to form a broader Marxist party, the British Socialist Party. These two parties came to influence the shop steward movement, which became particularly prominent in what became known as Red Clydeside. Socialists such as John Maclean led strikes and demonstrations for better working conditions and a forty-hour working week. Daniel De Leon (December 14, 1852 – May 11, 1914) was born in Curaçao. ... The Socialist Labour Party was a socialist political party in the United Kingdom. ... The British Socialist Party was a socialist party founded in Britain in 1911. ... Red Clydeside is a term used to describe the era of political radicalism that characterised the city of Glasgow in Scotland and urban areas around the city on the banks of the River Clyde. ... There are several people named John MacLean, including: John MacLean, professional ice hockey player John MacLean, a minor Canadian political figure John Duncan MacLean, former Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia John Maclean MA, Scottish political figure John Norman Maclean, author of Fire on the Mountain: The True...

This activity took place against the background of the First World War. The Labour Party, like almost all the Socialist International, enthusiastically supported their country's leadership in the war, as did the leadership of the British Socialist Party. This split the BSP, and a new anti-war leadership emerging. Jump to: navigation, search World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, the War of...

Puerto Ricans live in Washington, beware

Bolshevism and the CPGB

The shop steward movement worried many right-wingers, who believed that socialists were fomenting a Bolshevik revolution in Britain. A Communist Party of Great Britain was founded, but it attracted only existing left-wing militants, with the British Socialist Party and Workers Socialist Federation joining many Socialist Labour Party activists in it. Jump to: navigation, search Leaders of the Bolshevik Party and the Communist International, a painting by Malcolm McAllister on the Pathfinder Mural in New York City and on the cover of the book Lenin’s Final Fight published by Pathfinder. ... The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was a political party in the United Kingdom, which existed from 1920 to 1991. ...

The CPGB soon became known for its loyalty to the line of the Comintern, and proposed the motion to expel Trotsky from the international. Under the leadership of Harry Pollitt, it finally gained its first MP, and began to expel Trotskyists. Jump to: navigation, search The Comintern (from Russian Коммунистичекий Интернационал (Kommunisticheskiy Internatsional) – Communist International), also known as the Third International, was an international Communist organization founded in March 1919 by Lenin, Trotsky and the Russian Communist Party (bolshevik), which intended to fight by all available means, including armed force, for the overthrow... 1915 passport photo of Trotsky Leon Davidovich Trotsky (Russian: Лев Давидович Троцкий; also transliterated Trotskii, Trotski, Trotzky) (October 26 (O.S.) = November 7 (N.S.), 1879 - August 21, 1940), born Lev Davidovich Bronstein (Лев Давидович Бронштейн), was a Bolshevik revolutionary and Marxist intellectual. ... Harry Pollitt(right) meeting Mao Zedong in Peking, 1955 Harry Pollitt (1890 - 1960) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Great Britain for more than 20 years. ... Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ...

Labour and the general strike

The Labour Party continued to grow as more unions affiliated and more Labour MPs were elected. In 1918, a new constitution was agreed, which laid out several aims of the party. These included Clause IV, calling for nationalisation of industry. With their success in the 1924 UK general election, Labour were able to form their first minority government, led by Ramsay MacDonald. This government was undermined by the infamous Zinoviev Letter, which was used as evidence of Labour's links with the Soviet Union. It was later shown to be a hoax. Jump to: navigation, search 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Clause IV of the Labour Party constitution sets out the objects of the Party, and has been the scene of political fights over its direction. ... The 1924 UK general election was held on 29th October 1924. ... For minority régime, see Apartheid. ... The Right Honourable James Ramsay MacDonald (12 October 1866–9 November 1937), British politician, was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... The Zinoviev Letter is thought to have been instrumental in the Conservative Partys victory in the British general election of October 29, 1924, which ended the countrys first Labour government. ...

In 1926, Welsh miners went on strike over their appalling working conditions. The situation soon escalated into the General Strike, but the Trade Union Congress, ostensibly worried about reports of starvation in the pit villages, called the strike off. The miners tried to continue alone, but without TUC support had eventually to give in. Jump to: navigation, search 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The UK General Strike of 1926 lasted nine days, from 3 May to 12 May 1926, and was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the government to act to prevent wage reduction and worsening conditions for coal miners. ... Trades Union Congress headquarters at Congress House in Great Russell Street near Tottenham Court Road, Camden, London. ... A pit village is a term used in the UK for the village around a deep coal mine. ...

Labour won a minority government in 1929 again under MacDonald, but following the Stock Market Crash of 1929, the Great Depression engulfed the country. Several government ministers did not support their leader and he decided to form a National Government with the Liberals and the Conservatives. The majority of the Labour Party regarded this as a betrayal and expelled him, whereupon he founded National Labour. The 1929 UK general election was held on 30th May 1929, and resulted in a hung parliament. ... The 1929 stock market crash devastated economies worldwide The Wall Street Crash refers to the stock market crash that occurred on October 29, 1929, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange collapsed, leading eventually to the Great Depression. ... This article deals with the effects of the Great Depression of the 1930s on the United Kingdom. ... In the United Kingdom the term National Government is in an abstract sense used to refer to a coalition of some or all major political parties. ... This article is about the political party that existed from 1931-1945. ...

The Great Depression devastated the industrial areas of Northern England, Wales and Central Scotland, and the Jarrow March of unemployed workers from the North East to London to demand jobs defined the period. During the Great Depression in the United Kingdom, the people of the North East England who were mainly miners and shipworkers, suffered even more than the rest of the country from the prevailing unemployment and poverty. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...

The Spanish Civil War and World War II

The Independent Labour Party disaffiliated from the Labour Party in 1932, in protest at an erosion of their MP's independence. For a time, they became a significant left-of-Labour force. Jump to: navigation, search 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ...

In 1936, the Spanish Civil War was viewed by many socialists as a contest against the rise of fascism which it was vital to win. Many CPGB and Independent Labour Party members went to fight for the Republic and with the Stalinist led International Brigades and the POUM anti-fascist forces, including George Orwell who wrote about his experiences in Homage to Catalonia. Jump to: navigation, search 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search History of Spain series Prehistoric Spain Roman Spain Medieval Spain -Visigoths -Al-Andalus -Age of Reconquest Age of Expansion Age of Enlightenment Reaction and Revolution First Spanish Republic The Restoration Second Spanish Republic Spanish Civil War The Dictatorship Modern Spain Topics Economic History Military History Social... Jump to: navigation, search Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... The Workers Party of Marxist Unification (POUM, Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista) was a Spanish political party around the time of the Spanish Civil War. ... Jump to: navigation, search Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by the pen name George Orwell, was a British author and journalist. ... Homage to Catalonia book cover Homage to Catalonia is George Orwells personal account of the Spanish Civil War, written in the first person. ...

The Labour Party leadership always supported World War II, and they joined a national government with the Conservative Party and the Liberals, and agreed a non-contest pact in elections. The CPGB at first supported the war, but after Josef Stalin signed a treaty with Adolf Hitler, opposed it. After the fascist invasion of the Soviet Union, they again supported the war, joined the non-contest pact, and did all in their power to prevent strikes. But strikes did occur, and the were supported by the anti-war Independent Labour Party and the newly-formed Trotskyist Revolutionary Communist Party. Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... National Governments or National Unity Governments are broad coalition governments consisting of all parties (or all major parties) in the legislature and are often formed during times of war or national emergency. ... Joseph Stalin Iosif (Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვილი; see Other names section) (December 21, 18791 – March 5, 1953) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and a political leader in the Soviet Union. ... Jump to: navigation, search Adolf Hitler â–¶(?) (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945) was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 and Führer und Reichskanzler (Leader and Chancellor) of Germany from 1934 to his death, as well as the self-proclaimed Savior of the German people. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... The Revolutionary Communist Party was a British Trotskyist political party, formed in 1944 and active until 1949, and publishing the Socialist Appeal fortnightly newspaper, a theoretical journal Workers International News and an entrist paper for its Labour Party fraction The Militant. ...

The 1945 Labour victory

To widespread surprise, the Labour Party under Clement Attlee won a landslide victory over popular war leader Winston Churchill in the 1945 UK general election, and implemented their social democratic programme. They established the National Health Services, nationalised some industries (for instance, coal mining), and created a welfare state. The Right Honourable Sir Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC (3 January 1883 – 8 October 1967) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, FRS, PC (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was an English statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... The United Kingdom General Election of 1945 held on 5 July 1945 but not counted and declared until 26 July 1945 (due to the time it took to transport the votes of those serving overseas) was one of the most significant general elections of the 20th century. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... The logo of the NHS for England and Wales. ... Nationalization is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ... Wyoming coal mine Anthracite coal strip-mining with the Marion shovel in the anthracite Coal Region Heckscherville-Minersville, Pennsylvania area, Pennsylvania Coal mining is the extraction of coal from the Earth for use during combustion. ... Jump to: navigation, search There are three main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state: the provision of welfare services by the state. ...

The CPGB also grew on the back of Stalinist successes in Eastern Europe and China, and recorded their best-ever result, with two MPs elected (one in London and one in Fife). The Revolutionary Communist Party collapsed, their perspectives falsified and unable to deal with the ensuing factional discord. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Fife (Fìobh in Gaelic) is a unitary council region of Scotland situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth. ...

Labour lost office in 1951 (despite polling 200,000 more votes than the Conservatives), and after Clement Attlee retired as leader in 1955, he was succeeded by the figurehead of the "right-establishment" Hugh Gaitskell, in an election that supporters of the defeated candidate, Aneurin Bevan, regarded as rigged. The 1951 election was held soon after the UK general election, 1950, which Labour won, but with an unworkable majority. ... Hugh Todd Naylor Gaitskell (April 9, 1906 - January 18, 1963) was a British politician, leader of the Labour Party from 1955 until his death in 1963. ... not to be confused with Ernest Bevin Aneurin Bevan, usually known as Nye Bevan (November 15, 1897–July 6, 1960) was a Welsh Labour politician regarded as a hero of the left, primarily for his role in the formation of the National Health Service. ...

Although there were some disputes between the Bevanites and the Gaitskellites, these disputes were more about personality than ideology, and the rift was healed when Harold Wilson, a Bevanite, was elected leader after Gaitskell's death. Bevanism was the ideological argument for the Bevanites, a movement on the centre left of the Labour Party in the late 1950s and led by Nye Bevan. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the British politician. ...

The 1960s and 70s

The Vietnam War, given lukewarm support by Harold Wilson radicalised a new generation. Massive anti-war protests were organised. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Tariq Ali of the International Marxist Group came to prominence. Jump to: navigation, search The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War was a conflict between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN, or North Vietnam), allied with the National Liberation Front (NLF, or Viet Cong) against the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, or South Vietnam), and its allies—notably the United States... Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the British politician. ... CND logo In British politics, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has been at the forefront of the peace movement in the United Kingdom and claims to be Europes largest single-issue peace campaign. ... Tariq Ali Tariq Ali (born 1943) is an author, filmmaker, and historian. ... The International Marxist Group (IMG) was a Trotskyist political party in the United Kingdom between 1964 and 1987. ...

The CPGB became increasingly divided between Stalinists and Eurocommunists. When they voted to disapprove of the Soviet Union's invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. The party suffered a series of splits various Maoist inclined elements left, the most significant forming the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist). Later in 1977 other traditionalist pro-Russian elements left to form the New Communist Party. Eurocommunism was an attempt in the 1970s by various European communist parties to widen their appeal by embracing middle-class themes, rejecting unquestioning support of the Soviet Union and express more clearly their fidelity to the democratic institutions. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (Chinese: 毛澤東思想, pinyin: Máo Zédōng Sīxiǎng), also called Marxism-Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought or Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM), is a variant of communism derived from the teachings of Mao Zedong (1893–1976). ... The Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) is a British communist political party. ... The New Communist Party of Britain is a communist political party in Britain. ...

Throughout most of the rest of the twentieth century, Labour alternated in office with the Conservatives, most notably in the Wilson-Heath years (1964-1976). During this period, Labour introduced In Place of Strife, a plan designed to circumvent strikes by imposing compulsory arbitration. Opposed by many socialists and trade unionists, it had little success as union militants, many close to the CPGB, led the successful 1974 UK miners' strike, the well-supported but ultimately unsuccessful Grunwick dispute, and the 1978-79 Winter of Discontent. Jump to: navigation, search The Right Honourable Sir Edward Richard George Heath, KG , MBE (July 9, 1916 – July 17, 2005), soldier and politician, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and leader of the Conservative Party (UK) from 1965 to 1975. ... In Place of Strife was a British Government White paper, written in 1969. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Jump to: navigation, search This page refers to the year 1979. ... The Winter of Discontent is a nickname given to the British winter of 1978–79, during which there were widespread strikes by Trade Unions demanding larger pay rises for their members. ...

The Labour leadership's inability to work with trade unions, coupled with a world recession resulted in the election in 1979 of a right-wing Conservative government headed by Margaret Thatcher. The UK general election, 1979 was held on May 3, 1979 and is regarded as a pivotal point in 20th century British politics. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British stateswoman. ...

The 1980s

After the 1979 Labour defeat, Jim Callaghan tried in vain to keep the left of the party (in which Tony Benn was prominent) and the right (in which Roy Jenkins was prominent) together. In 1980, the party conference was dominated by factional disputes and what Callaghan regarded as Bennite motions. Callaghan resigned as party leader, and was replaced by Michael Foot, a left-winger who distanced himself from Benn but failed to transmit this to the media or the voters. Wedgewood Benn only lost the deputy leadership narrowly to Denis Healey. The Right Honourable Sir Leonard James Callaghan, Baron Callaghan of Cardiff, KG, PC (27 March 1912 – 26 March 2005), was Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1976 to 1979. ... Jump to: navigation, search Tony Benn about to join March 2005 anti-war demo in London The Right Honourable Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born April 3, 1925), known as Tony Benn, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British politician on the radical left of the Labour Party. ... Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead, OM, PC (November 11, 1920 – January 5, 2003) was a British politician and a prominent Labour Member of Parliament in the 1960s and 1970s, and founding member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1980 (MCMLXXX) is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Tony Benn speaking in London, June 2004 The Right Honourable Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born April 3, 1925), known as Tony Benn, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British politician regarded as being on the left of the Labour Party. ... The Right Honourable Michael Mackintosh Foot (born 23 July 1913), British politician, was leader of the Labour Party from 1980 to 1983. ... Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey, PC (born 30 August 1917), is a British Labour politician, regarded by many as the best Prime Minister we never had. He was born in Keighley, Yorkshire. ...

In 1981 the right-wing split from the Labour Party to found the Social Democratic Party. In the 1983 UK general election, Thatcher rode a wave of nationalism brought about by the Falklands War and compounded by a failure of the Labour leadership to stand by their manifesto (famously described by the right-wing Labour MP Gerald Kaufman as 'the longest suicide note in history'). Labour suffered their worst election defeat since 1918. Jump to: navigation, search 1981 (MCMLXXXI)is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was a United Kingdom political party that existed as a national party between 1981 and 1990. ... United Kingdom general election, 1983 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Nationalism is an ideology which holds that the nation, ethnicity or national identity is a fundamental unit of human social life, and makes certain political claims based upon that belief; above all, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate basis for the state, and... Jump to: navigation, search The Falklands War or the Malvinas War (Spanish: Guerra de las Malvinas), was an armed conflict between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands (also known in Spanish as the Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, between March and June... The Right Honourable Sir Gerald Bernard Kaufman (born June 21, 1930) is a British Labour Member of Parliament who was a government minister during the 1970s. ...

The Trotskyist Militant Tendency, working in the Labour Party, has gradually increased their support. By 1982, they controlled Liverpool City Council, and took the lead in opposing Conservative budget cuts. but after a fight, many of their councillors were surcharged and thrown out of office. The Labour leadership followed this by expelling Militant members from the party. Thatcher's other chief opponent in local government, Ken Livingstone of the Greater London Council, was left powerless when she abolished the metropolitan county councils and GLC in 1986. The Militant Tendency was a Trotskyist faction within the Labour Party in the UK, accused of entryist tactics. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Liverpool City Council is the governing body for the city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. ... Jump to: navigation, search Ken Livingstone Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born June 17, 1945), is a British local government leader. ... Arms of the Greater London Council The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The defining event of the 1980s for British socialists was the 1984-5 miners' strike. Miners in the National Union of Mineworkers, led by Arthur Scargill, struck against the closure of collieries. Despite widespread support, including alliances forged with students, campaigners for gay rights and the prominent role of many miners' wives in Women Against Pit Closures, the strike was eventually lost. This increased the Tories' confidence, and they undertook massive privatisations and other neo-liberal legislation. The miners strike of 1984-5 was a major piece of industrial action affecting the British coal industry. ... The National Union of Mineworkers is a trade union for coal miners in the United Kingdom. ... Arthur Scargill Arthur Scargill (born January 11, 1938) was leader of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1981 to 2000 and is presently (2003) the leader of the Socialist Labour Party, a political party he founded in 1996. ... Jump to: navigation, search The National Union of Students (NUS) is the main representative body for the students unions that exist inside the United Kingdom. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ... The term neoliberalism is used to describe a political-economic philosophy that had major implications for government policies beginning in the 1970s – and increasingly prominent since 1980 – that de-emphasizes or rejects positive government intervention in the economy, focusing instead on achieving progress and even social justice by encouraging free...

After the 1983 election, the right-winger Neil Kinnock was chosen as the new leader of Labour. He attempted to reform the party by expelling revolutionaries and dropping many socialist policies. In the process the party beat off the challenge from the SDP. However, Labour lost the 1987 UK general election by a wide margin. Jump to: navigation, search Lord Kinnock The Right Honourable Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock, PC (born 28 March 1942) is a British politician. ... The UK general election, 1987 was held on June 11, 1987 and was the third victory in a row for Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives. ...

Socialism and nationalism

Scottish and Welsh nationalism have been the concern of many socialists. Having been raised in the nineteenth century by Liberals also calling for Irish Home Rule, Scottish Home Rule became the official policy of the ILP, and of the Labour Party until 1958. John Maclean campaigned for a separate Communist Party in Scotland in the 1920s, and when the CPGB refused to support Scottish independence, he formed the Scottish Workers Republican Party. The CPGB eventually changed their position in the 1940s. Walter Thomas Monningtons 1925 painting called Parliamentary Union of England and Scotland 1707 hangs in the Palace of Westminster depicting the official presentation of the law that ended Scottish independence. ... Welsh nationalism is the Welsh expression of nationalism, a movement that became popular in nineteenth-century Europe and gradually became a global phenomenon in the twentieth century. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search Sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America as the Roaring Twenties . In Europe it is sometimes refered to as the Golden Twenties. ... The Scottish Workers Republican Party (SWRP) were formed by the Marxist activist John Maclean MA (1879-1923) in the 1910s. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events and trends The 1940s were seen as a transition period between the radical 1930s and the conservative 1950s, which also leads the period to be divided in two halves: The first half of the decade was dominated by World War II, the widest and most...

The early nationalist parties had little connection with socialism, but by the 1980s they had become increasingly identified with the left, and in the 1990s Plaid Cymru declared itself to be a socialist party. Jump to: navigation, search // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 1960s and 1970s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... Jump to: navigation, search // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but otherwise retaining the same mindset. ... Listen to this article · (info) This audio file was created from the revision dated 2005-07-12, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ...

Following the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, both the Scottish National Party and Plaid have been challenged by socialists in recent years. The Scottish Socialist Party, who include an independent Scotland in their programme, has had successes including the election of 6 MSPs. Forward Wales, with a less militant programme, are aiming to replicate this success. Jump to: navigation, search The Scottish Parliament (Pàrlamaid na h-Alba in Gaelic, Scots Pairlament in Scots) is the national unicameral legislature of Scotland. ... The National Assembly for Wales (or NAW) (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in 1998, following a 1997 referendum in which a small majority of voters (but not the electorate) voted in favour of the Labour Governments plans for devolution. ... In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article deals with the Scottish Socialist Party that was formed in 1998. ... Jump to: navigation, search Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. ... Forward Wales (or Cymru Ymlaen in Welsh) is a political party operating in Wales. ...

The 1990s

In 1989 and 90, the Conservatives introduced the deeply unpopular poll tax. For the first time in the decade, socialists were able to organise effective opposition, culminating in the "Poll tax riot". Margaret Thatcher's own party compelled her to step down, and she was replaced by John Major, who abolished the charge. Jump to: navigation, search 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jump to: navigation, search For the Temptations album, see 1990 (Temptations album) MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... Jump to: navigation, search A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ... The Poll Tax Riots, as they became known, were major acts of civil disobedience carried out in England and Scotland. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article is about the British politician. ...

The CPGB finally disintegrated in 1991, although their former newspaper, The Morning Star, continues to be published by the Communist Party of Britain. Jump to: navigation, search 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Morning Star. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Communist Party of Britain is the largest Leninist party operating in the United Kingdom, although it chooses not to be active in Northern Ireland where the Communist Party of Ireland works. ...

In the run-up to the 1992 general election, polling showed that there might be a hung parliament, but possibly a small Labour majority. In the event, Major got in again with a majority of 21. This has been attributed to both triumphalism of the Labour Party (in particular the infamous Sheffield Rally) and the Tories' "Tax Bombshell" advertising campaign. Jump to: navigation, search 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... In Parliamentary systems, a hung parliament is one in which no one political party has an outright majority. ... The Sheffield Rally was a political convention held by the Labour Party on Wednesday 1st April 1992, a week ahead of the 1992 UK general election. ...

After the brief stewardship of John Smith, Tony Blair was elected leader. He immediately decided to re-write Clause IV, dropping Labour's commitment to workers' control. Many members of the party were unhappy with the proposed changes and several unions considered using their block vote to kill the motion, but in the end their leaderships backed down and settled for a new clause declaring the Labour Party a "Democratic Socialist Party". The Rt. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. ...

Several party members, such as Arthur Scargill regarded this as a betrayal of Labour's ideology and left Labour in disgust. Scargill formed the Socialist Labour Party (SLP) which initially attracted some support, much of which transferred to the Socialist Alliance on its formation, but the SA has since been wound up and the SLP has become marginalised. The Scottish Socialist Party have proven much more successful, while Ken Livingstone became the Mayor of London, standing against an official Labour Party candidate. Livingtone was re-admitted into the Labour party in time for his re-election in 2004. Arthur Scargill Arthur Scargill (born January 11, 1938) was leader of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1981 to 2000 and is presently (2003) the leader of the Socialist Labour Party, a political party he founded in 1996. ... The Socialist Labour Party (SLP) is a small left-wing political party in the United Kingdom. ... The Socialist Alliance is a far left electoral alliance in England. ... The current Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. ...

Under Blair, Labour launched a massive PR campaign to rebrand as New Labour, introduced women-only shortlists in certain seats and central vetting of Parliamentary candidates, to ensure that its candidates were seen as young and on-message. Labour won the 1997 UK general election with a large majority, and have been in power ever since. However, they have not reversed many Tory policies, and have disappointed some socialists. New Labour is an alternative name of the British political Labour Party. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ...

The 21st century

The international anti-globalisation movement, while difficult to define, has become a focus for other socialists in the 21st century, and many see a reflection of it in the opposition of large sections of the population to the 2003 Iraq War. Anti-globalization (anti-globalisation) is a political stance of opposition to the perceived negative aspects of globalization. ... Jump to: navigation, search In calendars based on the Christian Era or Common Era, such as the Gregorian calendar, the 21st century is the current century, as of this writing. ... For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq without the explicit backing of the United...

George Galloway after his expulsion from the Labour Party in October 2003 (following controversial statements about the war in Iraq) joined with some far-left groups, mainly the Socialist Workers Party, then the largest left-of-Labour grouping, and independents, including leading figures from the Muslim Association of Britain, to form RESPECT The Unity Coalition. Galloway succeeded in being elected as a Respect MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in the 2005 UK general election. Respect hope to take over the left-wing space they see as having been disserted by New Labour and start to pull disaffected labour grass-roots members. Jump to: navigation, search George Galloway George Galloway (born on August 16, 1954) is a British politician noted for his left-wing views, confrontational style, and rhetorical skill. ... Jump to: navigation, search The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for October, 2003. ... Jump to: navigation, search Fist Logo The Socialist Workers Party (SWP) is the largest political party of the far left in Britain. ... MAB logo The Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) is an Islamist group in the United Kingdom established in 1997. ... RESPECT The Unity Coalition is a left wing British political party founded on January 25, 2004 in London. ... Bethnal Green and Bow is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 and won by the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... New Labour is an alternative name of the British political Labour Party. ... Grassroots democracy is the political processes which are driven by groups of ordinary citizens, as opposed to larger organisations or wealthy individuals with concentrated vested interests in particular policies. ...

Other socialists place their hopes in a trade union revival, perhaps around the "Awkward Squad" of the more leftist trade union leaders, many of whom have joined the Labour Representation Committee. Others have turned to more community-based politics. Yet others believe they can reclaiming the Labour Party. Jump to: navigation, search This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Awkward Squad is a term that came into common currency in the United Kingdom in 2002/2003 to describe what was perceived as a new wave of left-wing trade union leaders. ... The Labour Representation Committee (LRC) was formed on February 27, 1900, at a conference at which representatives of the main socialist groupings in the United Kingdom were present. ...